To: Dr. Erika Paterson
From Eric Zhang
Date: Feb 28, 2022
Subject: Proposal to Improve the Usage of Recycling Stations on UBC Campus
Intended Audience
This proposal is intended for members in the UBC Sustainability program and UBC students.
Introduction
You may have seen many garbage stations across the UBC campus where there are four different color of garbage bins. Green bin is for food scraps; Grey is for containers; Blue is for paper; and black is for garbage. While many of us, who are doing our part to protect the environment by sorting our wastes, there are many others who are still not doing their part.
UBC Life Building and the AMS Nest are primary social gathering locations for UBC students. Many students have lunch there because of the easy access, and that it is near majority of the food restaurants. These busy venues produce the most garbage out of all the recycling stations across campus. Often, the janitors were forced to separate food scrapes, plastics and paper from the black bin which consist of garbage.
Statement of Problem
The major problem is that some students do not separate their own wastes. There are two factors that contribute to this issue. One, the students are not sure which item belongs in which bin. This leads to the second factor, which is laziness. When the student is not sure which items go into which bin, they are too lazy to find out and they proceed to throw everything in the black bin.
Proposed Solution
One possible solution to this problem is to add personnel to manage some of the recycling stations. Not adding someone to every single recycling station, but the ones that receives the most garbage. For instance, the AMS Nest or the Life building. This is similar to recycling stations at local malls, where people drop off their food trays and the person at the station takes care of the rest by sorting the wastes into their respective bins.
Scope
For this proposal, I plan to research further in the following areas:
1) How often do students throw out garbage at the recycling stations.
2) Do students separate their waste and make sure they are thrown out into the right bin?
3) How much do students care about recycling?
4) What is the hard cost and soft cost of hiring personnel to manage recycling stations?
Methods
My Primary data source will be a survey to all the students, professors and workers who have access to the recycling stations. The survey can provide some insights and important knowledge for us to approach our solution.
My secondary sources will include studies conducted by members of UBC Sustainability program and literature on benefits and motivations on recycling.
My Qualification
As a UBC student, I want to improve the quality of the environment on campus. With previous experience learning about environmental science, I understand the importance of recycling to protect our environment.
Conclusion
The purpose of this proposal is to use recycling stations more effectively and efficiently. With your approval, I would like to begin my research.
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